Communication across a network-based information system, such as the Internet, is commonplace in most every business and home today. Initially, such communication occurred across a telephone line through a single modem that was linked directly to a single computer. Advancements in technology allowed for communication upgrades through improving data speed by going from a dial-up telephone connection to broadband or Digital Subscriber Line (or Loop) more commonly referred to as DSL. In addition, multiple computers were able to be linked together to provide a data communications link to a network of computers.
More recent developments have allowed a user to locally sever the physical tie to the modem by introducing wireless communications medium known as Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi is a brand originally licensed by the Wi-Fi Alliance to describe the underlying technology of wireless local area networks (WLAN) based on the Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 specifications. This technology was originally developed to be used for mobile computing devices, such as laptops, in local area networks, but is now increasingly used for more services, including the Internet, VoIP phone access, gaming, and basic connectivity of various consumer electronics. This allows a user with a computer having a wireless transceiver, to send and receive the data from the modem as long as the computer and the Wi-Fi modem are located within a relatively small geographic distance of each other, such as within a house, office building, restaurant, airport, or other confined space.
As the desire for portability of computing devices capable of data exchange continues, internet service providers have developed the next generation of wireless technology, commonly referred to as WiMAX, which is defined as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access by the WiMAX Forum formed to promote conformance and interoperability of the IEEE 802.16 standard. WiMAX is a standards-based technology enabling the delivery of last mile wireless broadband access as an alternative to cable and DSL. Delivering the signal over the “last mile” is the largest cost due to the physical requirements of extending the cabling to each user from a central location or mainline.
Through WiMAX technology, the previously localized wireless internet signal is broadcast over a much larger geographic area, such as an entire metropolitan area. The broadcast of this signal typically occurs by way of radio, television, and/or cellular telephone towers. This allows for wireless data transfer over a much larger area than before and can eliminate the higher costs associated with delivering the signal the “last mile.”
To communicate data across an information network in a WiMAX environment for a portable computing device, such as a laptop personal computer, a modem having wireless capability is required. For a laptop personal computer, the modem can be removably coupled to the computer and for a desktop personal computer, the modem is typically a stand alone device that is connected to the computer, typically by way of an Ethernet cable. While each of these devices are effective for their respective type computer, the modem of the laptop personal computer is inactive when the laptop personal computer is turned off. Therefore, this device, which is capable of providing high-speed data transfer with a network, such as the Internet, is an unused computing resource that could be used more effectively.